Methods and systems for simultaneous real-time monitoring of optical signals from multiple sources

• US 7,692,783 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2006
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pacific Bioscience of California Incorporated (L'Oreal SA)
• Original Assignee: Pacific Bioscience of California Incorporated (L'Oreal SA)
• Inventors: Dixon, John, Turner, Stephen, Lundquist, Paul, Zaccarin, Denis, Lacroix, Yves
• Primary Examiner(s): Geisel; Kara E
• Application Number:
  US11/483,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20070188750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 356/244, 356/246
• US Class Current: 356/244
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0224 using polarising or depolarising elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/10 Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/14 using refracting elements, e.g. prisms G01J3/18, G01J3/26 take precedence prisms per se G02B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/2803 using photoelectric array detector
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6417 Spectrofluorimetric devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6441 with two or more labels
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6445 Measuring fluorescence polarisation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6452 Individual samples arranged in a regular 2D-array, e.g. multiwell plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6456 Spatial resolved fluorescence measurements; Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/648 using evanescent coupling or surface plasmon coupling for the excitation of fluorescence

Abstract

Methods and systems for real-time monitoring of optical signals from arrays of signal sources, and particularly optical signal sources that have spectrally different signal components. Systems include signal source arrays in optical communication with optical trains that direct excitation radiation to and emitted signals from such arrays and image the signals onto detector arrays, from which such signals may be subjected to additional processing.

Claims

1. An analytical device, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of signal sources disposed upon the substrate, the signal sources being arrayed upon the substrate in a plurality of substantially parallel rows, each of the plurality of parallel rows comprising a plurality of signal sources, and wherein two adjacent signal sources in a row are spaced apart by a first distance, and wherein two adjacent rows of signal sources are spaced apart by a second distance, wherein the second distance is at least three times greater than the first distance; and

wherein the first distance is from about 100 nm to about 1 μ

m.

2. The analytical device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of signal sources on the substrate comprises a well disposed in a surface of the substrate.

3. The analytical device of claim 2, wherein the substrate comprises a transparent layer and an opaque layer, and each well comprises an aperture disposed through the opaque layer to the transparent layer.

4. The analytical device of claim 3, wherein each well comprises a zero mode waveguide.

5. The analytical device of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises at least 10 substantially parallel rows of signal sources.

6. The analytical device of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises at least 100 substantially parallel rows of signal sources.

7. The analytical device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of signal sources comprises a fluorescent material.

8. The analytical device of claim 7 wherein the fluorescent material comprises a material comprising a reagent whose fluorescence is altered upon a reaction with a reactant.

9. The analytical device of claim 1 wherein the signal sources include multiple different reagents that each have a different fluorescent emission spectrum.

10. An analytical device, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of signal sources disposed upon the substrate, the signal sources being arrayed upon the substrate in a plurality of substantially parallel rows, each of the plurality of parallel rows comprising a plurality of signal sources, and wherein two adjacent signal sources in a row are spaced apart by a first distance, and wherein two adjacent rows of signal sources are spaced apart by a second distance, wherein the second distance is at least three times greater than the first distance; and

wherein the substrate comprises a transparent layer and an opaque layer, and each well comprises an aperture disposed through the opaque layer to the transparent layer.

11. The analytical device of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of signal sources on the substrate comprises a well disposed in a surface of the substrate.

12. The analytical device of claim 11, wherein each well comprises a zero mode waveguide.

13. The analytical device of claim 10, wherein the second distance is from about 200 nm to about 10 mm.

14. The analytical device of claim 10, wherein the substrate comprises at least 10 substantially parallel rows of signal sources.

15. The analytical device of claim 10, wherein the substrate comprises at least 100 substantially parallel rows of signal sources.

16. The analytical device of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of signal sources comprises a fluorescent material.

17. The analytical device of claim 16 wherein the fluorescent material comprises a material comprising a reagent whose fluorescence is altered upon a reaction with a reactant.

18. The analytical device of claim 10 wherein the signal sources include multiple different reagents that each have a different fluorescent emission spectrum.